Pork

March 18, 2017

I love hominy – that flat white maize that is soaked in alkali (like lyme) and so common in South American cuisine. So it should come as no surprise that Locro from Argentina,—a stew of squash/pumpkin, a variety of meats, and hominy, Lima beans and chickpeas should be my favorite .

It was creamy and slightly sweet, and its garnishing chile sauce, made with paprika, red pepper flakes and olive oil is simply lovely.

In Argentina it is considered a national dish and served for all the big holidays.

Get this on your winter menu now before you no longer pine for thick and heavy, rich stews. The veal, pork, cured chorizo and my addition of slabs of bacon with all the legumes is hands down, delicious.

Though it takes several hours of slow cooking, it is a one pot meal all by itself with no sides needed. You’ll be surprise just how nice an full a small bowl will get you.

Btw, it also freezes well so it’s so good to make a big batch and keep one container in the freezer for all those evenings when after a hectic day at work, all you want to do is warm up to a nice bowl of rich stew with a nice glass of wine.

February 11, 2017

Now pork and prunes or slightly sweet-tart dry fruits go so well together. The Italians take it up several notches though – This is a marvelous technique of stuffing pork tenderloins with prunes that I learned at a cooking class in Bologna. Now if you know Italy at all, you know that Emilia Romagna is at the heart of great cuisine.

So it comes as no surprise that this fantastic take on the pork and prune classic comes from this region. The additional of Marsala wine which as you know hails from Sicily does exactly what other recipes that use port does – adds yet another layer of sweetness without that cloying after taste.

I do recommend using only sweet Marsala and not the dry variety. I love that this recipe comes to together so quickly for a weeknight meal, no fuss-no muss. Once the tenderloins are stuffed in an oh so clever manner with prunes, its seared and roasted for a few minutes in the oven.

Meanwhile the shallots are sauteed in the pan with thyme and a sauce comes together with prunes that mash up to make a lovely sauce with the Marsala wine and thickened ever so slightly with chilled butter at the end.

Though it is not traditional to add a wee bit of cream at the end, I like to sometime just a tad to smooth out the edges.

What a great meal for when friends are over, on a holiday weekend like this one with a lovely simple salad or roasted vegetables, but why wait for a special occasion when you can make it just as easily at the end of a work day.

Once sliced and plated and drizzled with the sauce, it has all the makings of a 5-star meal.

Here’s what I call champagne taste on a water budget – or should I Marsala taste?!

March 18, 2016

Spring has sprung! Easter is next week and this is the perfect time to an old time favorite that will earn you a nod even from Mrs. Patmore.

If you have to ask, then don't worry about it and keep reading.

Think of the this raised pie as the ultra sophisticated meat-loaf wrapped up in a die-to crust. The meat uses all kinds of ground meat and after several trial and errors perfecting the recipe, I felt that the ground pork belly fat is key. It adds moisture to the slab of meat in a way only animal fat can.

The flavors in the meat are wonderful - what with fresh herbs & freshly ground spices you just can;t go wrong.

And then comes the piece de resistance - the boiled water and lard crust. What an invention! I taught this last Saturday in class and most of the folks have been making French pie crusts with me for ages felt that this one was much easier to work with than traditional pie crust. And sturdier.

Of course it would have to be. To bear the weight and encase all that meat. And it is so very forgiving. Even if you muck it up, and your pie crust has more patchwork than a quilt, it still comes out looking and tasting just fabulous.

Best of all the whole thing is best prepared a day head and will serve a crowd. And just in case you didn't hear me before, it just happens to be delicious.

February 23, 2016

I had never tasted Chili till I landed on the shores of the United States. Once I joined 'corporate America', it was impossible to dodge the annual Chili Cook-Offs and I began pottering around with this recipe & that. And though for many years I made a decent Chili by no means would I call it a great Chili and we'd often devour bowls of it on many a snowy cold nights with an equally mediocre corn bread.

Then inspiration struck out of the blue and quite unexpectedly as it often does. I was reading an article about Mark Miller - for those of you have been following the blog, you know that he is a source of great inspiration to me when it comes to Mexican & Southwestern cuisines & I admire the man immensely for his many contributions. Well, there was a mention of how he created a signature Chili at the Coyote Cafe using venison meat. And that fueled in me a desire to make a Chili using a variety of meats & Chiles.

Having taken an interest in southwestern cooking, I have been reading more and more about Chiles and if there is one thing I am learning is that unlike Indian cooking where chillies are used for heat, Mexican and New Mexico Chiles are used not only for heat but for there incredible smoky flavors & scents that is characteristic in good southwestern cooking.

I must thank the state of Virginia & 'Pesky Pete' for the use of beer in my recipe. I used to work with this guy and if you know Virginians then you know that most of the men here take great pride in their meat, their beer & their chili. Now let me tell you, I like 'Pesky Pete'- he was and I'm sure is still a nice guy. Except that he often spoke with great conviction about things he knew very little about.

For example one day, he started arguing with me about Gandhi - now most people would probably stop a second & think - wait a minute this girl's of Indian hesritage so maybe, just maybe she does know a wee bit more about Gandhi than I do - not'Pesky Pete' he began arguing with me that Gandhi's first name is 'Mahatma' - Between laughter, exasperation & anger I tried to convince him that 'Mahatma' was the title given to Gandhi which mean 'Great Soul - entomology of the word - Maha - Great, atma - soul hence 'Great soul' but his real name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

The guy wasn't buying it!

Which is why I call him 'Pesky Pete'. Now 'Pesky Pete' may not know his Gandhi but he sure knows his Chili and it was he who told me to start cooking my Chili in beer & beef stock. So for that, I will always be eternally grateful to him. Also the addition of black beans instead of pinto or kidney gives this Chili that unique southwestern flair.

With such great inspirations, I must confess that I now make a darn good Chili and won an award at a Chili Cook-Off at my husband's firm...yea!!!! (please picture me gleefully clapping my hands together like a little girl in pig tails)

So here goes - Southwestern Chili :Warning - Not for those souls who define 'spicy' as a dash of pepper! Now, I don't consider this Chili hot but lets just say - it has a spine!

May 22, 2015

Jamón ibérico a.k.a Pata negra which means black hoofed is singularly one of the most expensives pieces of cured meat I have ever purchased.

Turns out, the Spanish are as crazy about their Jamón ibérico as the Sicilians are about their Nebrodi pig. Not the same thing mind you since the Nebrodi pig when done in a spectacular fashion like Cuccio Sultano does in Ristorante Duomo Ragusa, is slow cooked & fresh.

But I digress.

Spanish cured chorizo is fabulous when sliced and sauteed with onions, the smoky flavor of ever so slightly toasted paprika and of course hard cider.

The rich flavor of the sausage is nothing like fresh Mexican Chorizo and sensational. Like a sublime piece of meat on bread. And the oils and juices in the pan can only e enjoyed mopping up, family style!

Good to know! I found my coveted imported Spanish sausage in the Mexican grocery store for about $11.00 for 7 ounces. It's not the same thing as the gigantic sausages (2" dia) sold in delis that have the word salami in fine print just below Spanish chorizo.

April 10, 2015

Think of the Muffuletta as just a sandwich with a pile of cold cuts and cheese thrown on and you'd be so wrong!

In my humble opinion, here's a sandwich by which all others should be judged, a bastion in the world of sandwiches if you will.

And when it comes to the Muffuletta, you'd be hard pressed to find one that come close to the one found right here in New Orleans - The Central Grocery & Market on Decatur street.

To make a great Muffaletta, you have to have (1) a nice robust olive salad, then (2) comes the bread - traditionally a 10-inch round with sesame seeds on top, just a light crust an soft interior and last (3) a great selection of meats (go for the imports people!)

So the way I figure it, I've got (1) and (3) covered and my bread ain't bad either. But I can't imagine sharing this with you folks and expecting you to pull out the yeast everytime you want a Muffuletta. So that calls for a compromise.

I went to my artisan neighbourhood bakery and pressed down every circular bread I could find so I get one that has a nice crust but is also somewhat soft (you know there's only so much soft you'll get with an Italian bread....but oh! well)

I was pretty happy with a nice Italian round about 8" in dia. that I picked up. And with my olive salad ready to go, so am I. In my humble opinion, this right here is a wicked Muffuletta, but I'm not so arrogant as to proclaim it's in the league of Central Grocery.

I do think that unless you are a hop, skip and jump away from NOLA, you'll find this recipe deeply satisfying.

December 21, 2014

There is nothing quite like biting into a crisp, paper thin wheat flour pastry filled with meat, shrimp, vegetables & aromatic herbs. Now to this, add the most flavorful dipping sauce with fish sauce, lime, garlic, fresh cilantro and the hint of sweetness and one is very nearly at heavens door when it comes to Vietnamese cooking.

I must have been in my early teens when I first made these - I was a huge fan of British Chef Keith Floyd and his series - Floyd on (country) series. In fact I made it a point to never miss a show. I loved the way he would absorb himself into the indigenous culture and cook right there - in the middle of the market, the field or the village with hundreds of onlookers gawking at him (all the while guzzling down copious amounts of wine) and so he was my first introduction in Vietnamese cooking. Now this isn't his recipe - his was with lobster and crab which I hope to dig out from my old tattered, dog-eared collection very soon. But nevertheless, it he I must thank too for my early influences in World cuisine.

Now, these fried Vietnamese spring rolls are my absolute favorite and the only trouble with them is that they more addictive than a bag of chips or a can of pistachios - ever tried eating just one? You'd have to have nerves of steel or non-functioning taste buds!

So my saving grace (I tell myself) is that the paper thin wheat pastry is so thin that as long as I don't devour more than 4-5 (girl guides honor!) I will not be breaking my cardinal rule of not binging.

The weekend before Christmas, they seem to be a nice little treat before all the festive cooking begins. A Sunday treat of a different genre if you will.

Just to get this straight on the onset, these rolls are certainly not to be confused with the Goi Cuon, Vietnamese salad rolls, also referred to as Vietnamese summer rolls - barbecued pork, fresh herbs, lettuce, sometimes fresh garlic chives, rice vermicelli are all wrapped up in moistened rice paper and served cold with dipping sauce and are certainly not fried - hence the term summer roll.

A very important component to making these successfully i.e the best tasting spring rolls ever , use only the wheat flour, paper thin variety of spring roll pastry sheets - not the wonton sheets and certainly not the thick egg roll sheets. These by the way are easily available at your local Asian store.

Back to our minced pork & shrimp spring rolls - I am super excited to have these for dinner so lets get going!

March 13, 2014

Pork and clams are a traditional combination from Portugal. This dish hails from the region of Alentejana and if you think that’s what makes this dish unique is just that it combines pork with clams, well then that’s not just it.

The real secret is the red bell pepper paste known as massa de pimentao. Traditionally, this is made by marinating bell pepper strips overnight with salt. Obviously, this is to draw the moisture out of the cells and soften the vegetable. The bell pepper is then blended into a pesto like paste with garlic cloves and olive oil. Yummy!

All that salt acts as a natural preservative and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Mind you, I love using it all in the stew plus, any extra is the best on sandwiches. Thus far, I have yet to end up with a jar of this yumminess just sitting in the refrigerator. You can also buy the paste bottled up and purists insist on Incopil brand. However, I love the paste freshly made and with it being so hard to but it in the U.S. why not just make it at home?

If you are tempted to use middle eastern Ajvar as a substitute, I wouldn’t, simply because there is no ‘heat’ component in the traditional recipe.

This is such a simple stew once you make the red bell pepper paste, the pork chunks are marinated overnight with massa de pimentao and a generous glug of white wine and stewed the next day. Clams get added towards the end and a sprinkle of chopped up parsley and cilantro with lemon wedges and crust bread is all that’s required to complete this delicious meal.

Just one last thing, don’t use a lean cut of pork because like in all old world stews, you need the fat to render softer meat. Tenderloin may be tempting but you’ll be chewing on chunks of leather by the time you’re done!

February 14, 2014

And it’s a Friday with 15 inches of snow on the ground and the kids at home with schools closed.

A great day to stay in, stay warm and cuddle over a lovely dinner. So why not do what I'm doing and cook a wonderful dinner for your loved one and I have just the thing.

I have no doubt you already have wonderful and chocalatey already planned so allow me to fill in the gap with this ~ an absolutely wonderful and traditional Ragu alla Bolognese from Italy.

The people of Emilia Romagna know in the essence of their cooking that FAT CARRIES FLAVOR! Whether it’s pastry or meat, fat does carry flavor.

And instead of shying away from it, Bolognese cooking celebrates it. This traditional recipe of the Bolognese sauce is completely different to what we consider Bolognese sauce here in the US.

So here is where they differ:

-The American Bolognese sauce is served over spaghetti. Traditionally, it is only ever served with tagliatelle pasta, preferably fresh.

-Our version is tomato sauce laden while traditionally no more than ½ cup to as little as 2 tablespoons are used!

-The traditional Bolognese sauce is cooked with butter and olive oil.

-In our American version usually beef is a major component and this is completely missing from the traditional version! In fact, ground veal or boar and pork are used in equal quantities. So is Italian sausage in smaller quantities. All the meat is sautéed with chopped up bacon in bacon fat-olive oil-butter blend.

-Lastly, in our American version, the sauce is served over spaghetti with liberal quantities of parmesan cheese.

-The traditional Bolognese sauce is finished with cream and serve up with fried chicken livers and mushrooms for an even richer experience.

All in all, you’ll find this traditional Ragu from Bologna does not bury the pasta but rather simply coats it in a thick meaty Ragu. It’s wonderful and I recommend that you follow the traditional recipe to the letter for a truly wonderful culinary experience.

After all, let’s not try to make this all low fat and subject thos lovely sauce to the Wusification of Ragu!

September 30, 2013

The sort of foods where what you see is what you get and because you begin with the freshest of Nature's bounty, the result is inevitably just that - honest, delicious food!

My first introduction to the both clams and the process of charring vegetables for the wonderfully smoky flavor began young. Growing up, we had a lady who worked in our home. She was stunning & had such grace about her that from day one, Mum called her Sundari which means beautiful and the name stuck for the next 30 years no one in her family or the neighborhood ever refered to her by any other name.

Though she was technically a maid in our household there was nothing maid -like about the way she carried herself. She was very much a part of our family and had no qualms about reprimanding my Mum for something she's done in 'her' kitchen or expressing her displeasure at some of my shady choice of friends during my teenage years.

Finally, when I came home with 'the boy' that I wanted to marry, she asked Mum to 'produce this boy' in front of her - the one who wants to marry 'baby' (never mind that I was 25 years old!) So began his (Mr. Hubby's) interview who to date remembers that not only did he have to withstand the 'Spanish inquisition' from my own father but also from the maid as well as the dobermann!

Anyway, in addition to to being quite the matriarchal figure head, Sundari was also a superlative cook & when Mum & Dad were traveling for work as they sometimes were, Sundari & I would let loose our cooking inhibitions & cook up all kinds of adventurous things - smelly stuff with dried fish and slimy fish and tiny crabs and what not with Mum & Dad being non the wiser.

Sundari also made a fantastic chicken preparation by charring dried coconut which was then ground into a masala paste. Besides that we would commonly char eggplants for various dishes. So the process of charring vegetables is not new to me and comes with fond memories in tow.

However, a decade or so ago when I came across Mark Miller's spin on a Portuguese soup using charred tomatoes, I was intrigued. Once having fixed the soup, I was hooked! It has been a staple in our kitchen ever since and nothing beats this soup when you just want some honest to goodness grub!

April 25, 2013

One of the things I miss most about my years in Singapore is the food.

At times so different from traditional Chinese cuisine, the blend of Malay, Indian and Chinese cultures if anything have made the food richer and so much more diverse than it's traditional roots.

The sum my friends is indeed greater than it's parts.

I also love the ease of preparation with which some dishes would be put together - simple steamed fish or chicken, stir fries not to mention noodle soups and even eggy creations.

Of all the weeknight quick meals I've been taking away from Singapore, this right here is my favorite. Just a handful of ingredients and less than 30 minutes was all that was required to go from starving and frugal to dinner done!

And no, I certainly did not live my 20's on Ramen noodles. As lean as those times were, yours truly still had certain standards to maintain. Though I must admit most of my pay did go toward wine and Zola's books which was why I was particularly grateful for dinners like these.

March 14, 2013

The fact that this ragu is made not with beef but with pork, has wonderful dollops of Italian sausage and simmered for hours in red wine and crushed tomatoes, should be reason enough to get your blood pumping at the prospect of this ragu for Sunday dinner.

There's a reason this is Sunday dinner and not Monday dinner, per se. And that is because the meat needs to simmer for a solid two hours, till the meat is falling off the bone and the sauce thickens into this incredibly rich amalgamation of meat juices, wine and tomatoes.

You will however be amazed that such as short
ingredient list can pack such a punch when it comes to the result.

Using an ever economical cut of meat such as pork butt (no relation to piggy bottom), the meat is cooked till it is falling off the proverbial bone, shreds easily and then simmered some more in the rich sauce. The surprising magic comes from the hot Italian sausage that adds incredible depth and flavor to the sauce and therefore mustn't be omitted.

August 25, 2012

Shakespeare knew what he was about when in Romeo and Juliet, he said "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

And I am not even talking about roses or love here.

What I am talking about is Ma Po Tofu which roughly translates to 'Pock Marked Old Woman Tofu' and is a dreadful name for an absolutely delicious dish.

In fact it one of our all time favorite meals at home.

This is one meal that of all places conjures up memories of one of the most unlikely of places in the world for me ~ Port Douglas just off the coast of Cairns in Australia, a hopping point to the Great Barrier Reefs.

You see as a student in Australia, I was determined to see as much of the country even if that meant working multiple jobs while keeping my grades up & putting in all-nighters for parties (some times not quite in that order).

One fine day walking along campus I came accross an advert by a group of students looking for a 5th person to join them for a trip to the Great Barrier Reefs. The group consisted of 3 girls & 1 guy all of whom were Singaporean.

At that point, with the exception of knowing that Lee Kwan Yiew was the Senior Minister of Singapore, that it was a pristine country with tough rule encforced upon it's citizens, I knew very little about this country.

You know what they say in life, that all we see are dots on a surface and we don't really see how they're going to connect? Well, it's true.

Little did I know that during this chance meeting that two things my parents knocked well & good into me - a true appreciation for authentic Chinese cuisine (Cantonese) & mad chop stick skills since the age of 5 was going to begin to pay off big time nearly two decades later.

As we sat in a little hole-in-the-wall Cantonese place in the town of Port Douglas, we ate one of the most memorable meals of my life - salt baked whole chicken, Kang Kong leafy greens with garlic and Ma Po Tofu.

One bite and I was hooked!

This spicy meat and tofu dish from the Sichuan province famous for its ma la peppers was lip smackingly delicous and I couldn't get enough! The meal was also the beginning of some pretty special friendships that carried on, when not so far in the future my life would take me to Singapore on a more permanent basis.

Affection for both the food and my friends at that table have thrived right along with this recipe.

What you need to know before you fix this dish ~

There is no subsitute for Chilli Soybean paste or Sichuan ma la peppers. Also omitting these ingredients will give you anything but Ma Po tofu - think a blah pork and tofu stir fry. It is easily available in Asian stores - Chinese as well as Korean.

March 28, 2012

Some nights are just meant to be special - Birthdays, Valentine's Days, Anniversaries and then there are the just 'coz nights.

As parents we don't get enough of these - the just' 'coz nights and we should.

Because taking the time off - nay making the time hopefully means that we talk and that means we air our thoughts, not just as parents but as people, as friends. Not forgetting to air our opposing points of view which in turn hopefully makes us less crotchety as people which makes us less crotchety as 'better halves' which makes us less crotchety parents. Win-win.

So because it was Tuesday and for no other reason I decided to make these along with cheesy scalloped potatoes, a yam and rutabaga mash and caramel ice cream for dessert.

I set up the kiddies table next (and a good 5 ft away) from ours and we sat on the grown up table along with a chilled bottle of wine and glowing candles. I even dabbed on some Guerlain. And with Andrea Boccelli bellowing on the stereo we sat down to eat.

And despite the kids side glances and sniggering at the next table, it was nice.

Mr. Hubby even suggested that we do this monthly. I agree and we'll see how it goes.

January 08, 2012

To welcome the joy of a thick, rich steaming bowl of Pozole (pronounced po-zo-lay) in your life you'd have to get rid of one important presumption that,

Chiles are hot

In most of Asia this holds true. If a chilli ain't hot, why bother!

It's only when you've been accquainted with the Southwestern and Mexican chiles like Guajillo, Anjo, Chipotle & Casabel that the opposite holds true - these chiles are smoky, rich and complex not hot.

At the heart of a great Pozole is a dried chile paste which gives it a thick texture, vibrant color and unforgettable earthy aroma. Here I've used dried Guajillo peppers that have been soaked in boiling water, turned into a fine paste and added into the simmering stewed pork. To this add the incredibly flavorful kernels of Hominy corn and you have an exquisite Pozole.

Guajillo chiles (pronounced Gwaa-hillo) are the backbone of Mexican-style cooking lending their classic smoky, rich and complex flavors to any dish. Especially fantastic with pork, these chiles have a 'heat reading' of 6000 scoville units.

Hominy corn is dried maize kernels that are treated and are available in cans in Latino or Mexican grocery stores.

Where to buy dried Chiles?

I buy all my chiles at Penzeys Spicesand can vouch for their quality but feel free to shop at your neigbourhood Mexican/Latino stores.

Thank goodness for my years in the Southwestern USA where I learned so much about Mexican and southwestern cuisines I hope you'll find comfort from a cold blustery evening in the welcoming bowl of Pozole.

November 22, 2011

National defrost day in the US was over the weekend. I refer to the turkeys that are defrosting in millions of refrigerators around the US in anticipation of being roasted on Thursday Thanksgiving Day. Now here's a celebration that is one of the biggest holiday's in the US larger somewhat than even Christmas!

Most of us are anticipating the arrival of family in friends and with most of the grocery shopping out of the way, it's time to clean house, fluff pillow, polish the silver and wash the crystal to sparkling clarity.

Needless to say I will be MIA this week! My kitchen however will be seeing more action than it's seen all year! With guests arriving before the D-day, it's great to have easy to put together, blow them away meals that will basically cook themselves while you're getting laundry done and running around with last minute errands.

August 03, 2011

When it comes to some eats I suffer from a predilection of culinary snobbery. For those of us who lived or have for any length of time lived it those states of the US that abut the Mexican border, we've had the opportunity to taste some seriously good Mexican grub.

Not the kind that is regularly dished out to the unsuspecting folk in other parts of the world but the kind available in little cantinas, barrios and little abuela-owned hole-in-the-wall places. You know the kind that is just an ordinary eatery in places like Nogales from where you can see Mexican sprawl in your line of sight.

So you will forgive me when I don't jump up and down in glee when you suggest we go for 'Mexican' in let's say - Maine. I mean no offense but I wouldn't dream of getting lobster rolls in Arizona - so there, we're even!

Now before I offer you the recipe for some of the very best Carintas you will ever chow down, let me explain something. There is no true and blue recipe for Carnitas - it's a recipe that has evolved naturally with each family adding their own special twist. I know families who marinate theirs in orange juice, many in beer, some loaded with hot serrano chiles and some who barely spice theirs at all.

But one thing remains the same in all these recipes is the method of cooking the pork that renders it so tender and then finished to a beautiful mahogany brown. I have known many families to cook their pork and then fry it up in lard which is actually the traditional way.

My Carnitas has evolved over our time spent in the Southwest. And I won't tweak it, change it or mess with it for all the Dos Equis in the world. The pork is spiced, marinated in beer overnight and then slow cooked for about 6 hours. Once shredded, I add no additional fat and saute it in its own juices till the meat is a rich mahogany brown.

The meat is served over griddle warmed corn tortillas with a touch of ghee (oh yes! clarified butter has been used traditonally for a very long time) - double layers of corn tortillas to soak up the juices of course!

Finally topped with Pico De Gallo - what makes mine dangerously good? In additon to the usual ingredients of tomatoes, onions, cilantro and jalapenos, the trio of -lime, beer, & sugar work their magic and takes this Pico De Gallo to a whole other level.

Pork butt is the meat of choice which by the way has nothing to do with piggy bottom. It's rather the upper portion of the shoulder.

June 20, 2011

Not the kind that involves stupidity like going out for lunch with a high school crush and not telling him because that would tantamount to taking a very long walk on a very short pier!

But the kind where I don't always tell him what I am fixing for dinner even when he asks especially when it is something special I have been planning for sometime. Well, so much for secrets because sometimes even the most well intentioned ones can come back to bite you in the ass.

Look at my day for instance, we decided to take the boys to see Gulliver Travels which was a lot of Jack Black, fun. Little did I know that between the three of them they were going to get two mega bucket refills on the popcorn.

So what do you think happened? Come dinner time, here I am fixing what I think is a lovely dinner and I end up with my little one pushing food around his plate, my older barely finishing what's on his and Mr. Hubby not asking for seconds! You hear me, no seconds!

Niether was dinner accompanied by the usual flattery, ovation and flourish!

See what I mean? Bite me in the ass!

Well, boys with full bellies aside, this is a lovely dish with beautiful flavors and shouldn't be missed. Unless you too have a belly full of popcorn ofcourse!

December 19, 2010

And Vindaloo is a quintessential Goan specialty and especially popular during the holidays. In fact, Christmas would hardly be Christmas if it were not for the highly anticipated Sorpotel and Vindaloo in Goan homes. It was a much sort after meal for all of us who spent Christmas at the homes of our Goan Catholic school friends, growing up.

Here are 3 things you probably did not know about Vindaloo but ought to if you're going to serve it at your next Book club/dinner party or else risk end up being a proper Vindaloo-bumpkin!

1. Just because the term Vindaloo consists of the word 'aloo' which in Hindi means potatoes, there is no room for potatoes in a traditional Vindaloo.

2. The term vindaloo derives from the Portughese dish "Carne de Vinha d' Alhos", which is a dish consisting of meat, usually pork, with wine and garlic. The dish evolved into the Vindaloo when the Goans made it their own by adding plenty of spices and the subsitituting wine for their signature ingredient - Vinegar.

3. Why the Portughese influence in Goa? Because the Portughese landed on Goa's shores in the early 16th century as merchants, and conquered it soon thereafter. The Portuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India existed for about 450 years, until it was annexed by India in 1961.

It's best to use a cheap cut of meat like pork-butt for such a recipe and it is essential to allow the meat to marinate overnight to season and infuse with flavor. I also use a slow cooker to cook the meat instead of cooking the Vindaloo stove top as it is not only convenient on a busy weeknight but also renders an incredibly flavorful and moist result.

Can Vindaloo be made with prawns or chicken? Sure, but forgo the overnight marination if using seafood and it is best to use boneless, skinless, chicken thighs if you end up using chicken. Also, seafood will cook very quickly right on the stove top with no slow-cooking required.

As with all Goan food, chilli rules so though the recipe is authentic it is no means a traditional, fiery hot rendition and I have subsituted the usually called for 15 red chillies for a meek 2! But if you can happily ingest the called for 15, I say go for it!

I guess I should have listened more closely to all those ads in Sydney that kept playing over and over again on the tele - Australian pork - the New White Meat! It's a bit scary that I can still remember the jingle after all this time. Half the time I can barely connect the name to a face but when it comes to a pork tune, stuck in there like glue! Wow!

Anyway, I have been dying to fix parsnips - Like with most root vegetables what better way to cook them than roasting? I also wanted to do a tenderloin recipe that did not require a lot of marinating - just a few hours and still have a wonderful infused flavor. Now, I've always been a dry rub kind of girl - OK I did not mean for that to come off as kinky so just to be straight, we're talking food ya'all!

I love dry roasting spices, dry grinding them, adding a little bit of olive oil & marinating the meat in it and I do this just about any kind of meat always with excellent results. However, this is the first time I'm going pork tenderloin this way and I don't really have a recipe in mind, just a rough sketch so I'm going to work this I go along.

I also have an idea to use the 'vaghaar' technique in Indian cooking i.e. temper or season the hot oil with spices and then toss the vegetables in it - with the vegetables. I think its going to be wonderful with it. I thought of using turnips and rutabagas with the parsnips and carrots but I think their bulbs will not be aesthetic with the linear forms of the other two vegetables - what can I say, you can't teach an old dog new tricks - once a designer, always a designer!

The next day, Mr. Hubby asked, "What's for dinner?" to which I responded, "How about Blinis?" & he said "Who's that?" After a good laugh, I realized he'd actually hit on an excellent point. These fabulous savory pancakes which are traditionally served with caviar or smoked fish, seem to have almost become obsolete if not disappeared from our daily culinary vocabulary. So of course a reincarnation is in order!

February 02, 2010

My first introduction to anything or anyone Brazilian, was at the age of 12 when I met an acquaintance of my parents - a fellow student at the Yoga Institute.

She was indeed an unforgettable woman - a woman with an amazing stature, beautiful, flawless olive toned skin & strikingly stunning features. What was even more memorable was the passion with which she described her country, her people, their festivals & their food.

It was through her talks that I first heard of Churrasco, acooking style, which translates roughly from the Portuguese language to barbecue. It owes its origins to the fireside roasts of the gauchos of southern Brazil & is one of the most commonly known styles of Brazilian cooking (though there are many styles & varies with region)

Years later when I received my first cookbook by Mark Miller Coyote Cafe, I was thrilled to see that he was so heavily influenced by South American & Mexican cuisines & with time, his books proved invaluable in strengthening my understanding of the South American & Mexican cuisines. The recipe that follows is adapted from one of his & inspired by the National dish of Brazil -Feijoada, a thick stew of black beans and pieces of pork and other meats.

The pork tenderloin should be marinated for 3 days (72 hours) -

I have started the recipe at noon on Friday & I am going to marinate the tenderloin in the herb bath & then record its 'journey' as it marinates over the next 3 days, to be finally cooked for Monday evening's dinner. Join me won't you?

I would have preferred to marinate the meat in a zip lock bag so it does not take up so much room in the refrigerator. But it is not to be - the tenderloin is too long so I am going to have to use a large (non metallic) dish.

Place the marinade rub in a dish (large enough for the tenderloin to fit) & add the water. Soak the tenderloin in this marinade bath. Cover with plastic wrap or a tight lid & refrigerate & for the next 3 days (72 hours).

With each passing day there is a darkening of the marinade bath. This is what it looks like on day 3 - 72 hours later.Remove from refrigerator and allow to reach room temperature.

In a mini chopper, add 1/2 cup orange juice with the cloves and ginger. Pulverize to a fine paste. In a small sauce pan, add the pulp from the chopper to the rest of the orange juice and the Serrano chiles slit down the middle.

Bring the glaze to boil on high flame. Reduce to medium flame and continue to boil for approx 15-20 minutes or until it is the consistency of maple syrup.

Sieve the glaze and press down into the pulp so you get most of the glaze out of it. Discard the pulp.

Place the pork tenderloin into a baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Discard the marinade.

Turn the pork tenderloin over to its fatty side first and apply the glaze with a pastry brush. Turn over to the top side. Repeat process with the pastry brush. Insert a meat thermometer through its thickest portion (almost horizontally)

Place in preheated oven and reapply glaze every 15 minutes. Cook for approx 1 hour - 10 minutes or until the meat thermometer shows a temperature of 145 deg F.

Rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 1/4" thick slices at a slight angle. Spoon the glaze from the baking dish over the tenderloin with an upcoming recipe for Mark Miller's Authentic Black Beans

If you are going to make one pork tenderloin recipe in your life - this should be the one! A tall order you say?

Wait till you bite into it - the pork tenderloin is infused throughout with the rich smoky flavors of the herbs and spices and the glaze provides a balance of sweet, tart, a touch of heat and richness - nothing shouts out, yet all the elements remain identifiable.

What to do with leftover pork tenderloin?

You are not going to believe what I have planned - it is going to be truly fabulous - Roast Pork Tenderloin on Blinis with Chipotle Mayonnaise & Pear salsa!

The marinade - Mix all the dry ingredients in a zip lock bag or dish (non-metallic) large enough to hold the pork tenderloin and water. Mix the rub ingredients till well blended. Add water to the herbs and spices. Place tenderloin in the marinade bath for 3 days or 72 hours in refrigerator. Remove pork tenderloin from the refrigerator and set aside to reach room temperature.

The glaze - In a mini chopper, add 1/2 cup orange juice with the cloves and ginger. Pulverize to a fine paste.

In a small sauce pan, add the pulp from the chopper to the rest of the orange juice and the serrano chiles.Bring the glaze to boil on high flame. Reduce to medium flame and continue to boil for approx 15-20 minutes or until it is the consistency of maple syrup.

Sieve the glaze and press down into the pulp so you get most of the glaze out of it into a bowl, under the sieve. Discard the pulp.

Preheat oven to 350 deg F

Cooking method -

Place the pork tenderloin into a baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Discard the marinade.

Turn the pork tenderloin over to its fatty side first and apply the glaze with a pastry brush. Turn over to the top side. Repeat process with the pastry brush. Insert a meat thermometer through its thickest portion (almost horizontally)

Place in preheated oven and reapply glaze every 15 minutes. Cook for approx 1 hour -10 minutes or until the meat thermometer shows a temperature of 145 deg F.

Rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 1/4" thick slices at a slight angle. Spoon the glaze from the baking dish over the tenderloin and serve with Mark Miller's Black Beans.